Consequences
by UniqueAsterisk
Summary: Wendy's fallen for Conner. Conner's still in love with M'gann. How can he explain? How can she understand? A one-shot set after Satisfaction.


**Author Notes: So, this is the second SuperMartian story that I'm uploading. It's set some time after _Satisfaction_. I know some people ship Wendy and Conner, but I have shipped SuperMartian since _Fireworks_. (Yes, Episode 2 of Season 1. From the moment she said, "I like your t-shirt," and he smiled at her. I'm not even exaggerating.) So, I hope you enjoy this and please review.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Young Justice. It belongs to Cartoon Network and DC Comics.**

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**Consequences**

"I really like you, Conner," Wendy whispered.

They were standing under an archway. The other students around Ivy Town University were going about their normal lives. They passed by without a second glance at what they thought was a happy couple talking in between classes.

Conner stiffened.

"I have for a while," she continued.

She took a step toward him. She stood on her toes. She closed her eyes. She leaned forward. Conner's back was to the wall. He couldn't run.

She was so close. Any sane man would've closed the distance. Any sane man would've kissed her, right then and there, without even thinking about it. But Conner wasn't exactly sane.

He reached out and placed his hand on her shoulder. He stopped her. He pushed her away. Not hard, not harsh. He just forced her down off her toes.

Wendy stood there, stunned. She looked up him with those big brown puppy dog eyes almost begging him to love her back. Silently asking, _What did I do wrong?_

"I can't," Conner told her, letting go of her shoulder and looking down at his feet.

"Why?" she asked, "I thought that we were – that I was… Is there someone else?"

He closed his eyes. Images of her raced through his mind. Thoughts and memories of the girl, the _only_ girl. Not Wendy. Someone else. Someone who'd been in his life since the beginning.

"Is there someone else?" Wendy repeated.

He opened his eyes and looked up from his boots.

"Yeah," Conner answered.

"Who? Do I know her?"

He looked away. He looked out at the campus, the buildings, the people. Anything and anyone, but her.

"I'm just curious," she added.

"Yeah, you know her," he finally said.

"I didn't know you were dating anyone."

"I'm not."

"Well, then, who is she?"

Conner took a deep breath. He didn't want to talk about it. About her. About how he felt. It was complicated. But he had to tell her something. He decided the truth was easiest. Maybe, just maybe, she'd understand.

He took a deep breath before saying, "Megan."

"Megan?" she replied, "As in your ex-girlfriend? That Megan?"

What he said was this: "Yeah. _That_ Megan."

What he thought was this: _This is why I don't tell people._

"I thought you two weren't together anymore."

"We're not. But…"

"You still have feelings for her?"

"Yeah. I'm sorry I didn't tell you."

Wendy sighed.

"It's okay," she said, "You don't owe me an apology. I just assumed that you were a free man. I thought you broke up with her."

"I did," Conner replied, "It's hard to explain."

"You could try."

"Well, okay. I guess I can try. But can we sit down first?"

She gave a slight nod. They walked a few steps away and sat down on the bottom step of a nearby set of stairs.

"So… Megan?" Wendy prompted.

"Megan," Conner repeated, "I _did_ break up with her. But it wasn't because I wanted to see other people or because I didn't love her anymore. Or anything like that. It was because… well, a few months back, I found out that Megan had gotten into some pretty bad stuff. She was hurting other people. She was hurting herself. And she didn't even see how bad it had gotten. Then, when I got mad at her about it, when I tried to talk her out of it, she got scared. She lashed out at me."

"What do you mean by 'some pretty bad stuff?'" Wendy interrupted.

"Just stuff… Does it really matter?" Conner told her.

"I don't know. Does it?"

"No," he said decidedly.

"Fine. Continue," she replied.

"So, yeah, she lashed out at me. I ended it right there. It wasn't because I didn't care about her. It was just… I had to walk away. I loved her so much, but I couldn't be around her. I couldn't be with her when I knew how she was acting, what she was doing. I felt like I _had _to break up with her.

"So, I walked out. And she moved on. She got a new boyfriend. But, the way she acts around him and the way she talks about him when he's not around, she doesn't seem to really like him. I think she's dating him because she feels like she _needs_ to be with someone."

"Wow. That sounds kind of, well, crazy. And you still love her? Even through all of that?"

"Yes. Because I know she's just scared. That's why she freaked out on me and that's why she's with him.

"Before she moved to Happy Harbor, during that summer before we started high school with you and Mal and Karen and everybody. Back before I met her, she lived in a pretty tough neighborhood. She did what she had to do to survive. She learned, she fought, she got out."

"She never mentioned any of that," Wendy said, concerned.

"She doesn't like to talk about it," Conner said, "It messed her up pretty bad, but we got through everything together. She helped me with my issues and I helped her with hers. But then… stuff happened. She felt like she had to fight again. She attacked and fought back. She got scared and her instincts kicked in.

"I understood, but I had to walk away. I had to get out. And that was months ago."

"You said she got a new boyfriend. So, if she moved on, why can't you?" Wendy asked, not exactly trying to convince him to go out with her, but instead trying to understand where he was coming from.

"Some people say she still has feelings for me. That she's still in love. And that that's why I won't just go out with someone else. But that's not why. I can't move on because, I love her."

"I guess I just don't understand," she replied, looking away from him.

"Look at it like this," Conner said, trying to explain, "If you had been with someone for five years, if you'd loved them, if they'd loved you back, if you felt close to them – so close it hurt – would you be able to just stop loving them because they made one stupid mistake, even if it was a really big mistake?"

"No," Wendy admitted, "I guess I couldn't just abandon them."

"That's how I felt. That's how I still feel. I love her with all my heart. We've been through so much together. Before we started dating, once we were a couple, even after I broke it off. She matters a lot to me. And I think I'm going to love her until the day I die."

"I think I understand," Wendy replied.

She stood up then and extended her hand to Conner. He took it and let her help him to his feet. They stood there for a moment.

"I know you think I'm crazy," Conner eventually said.

"I don't," Wendy corrected, "Seriously. I don't think you're crazy. And I think Megan still loves you, too. She called me in tears at least twice after you broke up with her. But Megan has always been a trooper. And from what you've said, she's even tougher than I thought. She can get through anything if she concentrates hard enough. I don't think she's moved on. I think she's hiding. If you love her as much as you say you do, then you shouldn't give up on her. But don't waste your life. Make her see. Make her understand."

"How?"

"Tell her what you told me," she stated plainly.

And with that, Wendy walked away. She had a class to get to.

But Conner just stood there. How could he explain to M'gann that he still loved her and that all he wanted was to have her back?

He couldn't tell her that. There had to be consequences.

She had to stop. She couldn't keep going like this. She couldn't keep doing what she was doing. She couldn't keep living this way. It was wrong. It was terrible. It _wasn't_ M'gann.

He couldn't take her back when she was acting like the monster that he knew she wasn't.

So, instead of calling her, instead of attempting to explain, instead of trying to convince her for the millionth time, he walked away again. He walked away, because it was the only thing he could do.

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**Author Notes: So, what did you think? Don't forget to tell me. Reviews are always appreciated. :)**


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